St Johns House

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 65 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People were generally treated with dignity, kindness, and respect during interactions with staff, as reflected in feedback from people and their relatives. Many described staff as supportive and caring. One person said, “I get on well with the staff, they are kind and caring. I couldn’t ask for better and I love them all.” Another commented, “They are good, friendly, and they have got time to listen to you. They are very kind, it’s in the way they treat me and greet me. They are marvellous.”

However, not all experiences were positive. A member of the staff was observed supporting a person with their meal whilst in bed. This task was carried out in an unsafe and undignified manner. One person told us, “There are certain people you can trust. Some staff lift me under my arms, and it can hurt. I ask them to move me by my feet, but they don’t take any notice and mainly move me manually.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People told us staff respected their individual routines, including preferences for when to get up, where to spend time, and how they liked to engage in activities. Care was delivered in a personalised and meaningful way, supporting people to feel recognised, respected, and valued as individuals. One person said, “They are good, friendly, and they have got time to listen to you. They are very kind; it’s in the way they treat me and greet me. They are marvellous.” Another said, “They are very kind and obliging. Anything you want, they try to take care of you.”A visiting health professional said, “There is really good communication with the practice and the care home. Any issues are raised and dealt with promptly and there is a good working relationship. Staff know people well and can give a detailed handover and share information and after the ward round, meet to agree next actions.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Activities were coordinated by a full-time Activities Coordinator. Care plans recorded people’s individual interests and the activities they enjoyed, and most people were supported to engage in these as and when they wished. Staff encouraged participation while respecting people’s choices and preferences. “There are all sorts of things you can do if you want to, but there’s no pressure if you prefer not to join in. All the staff are lovely, so caring and kind.”

Staff provided people with a choice of hot meals. Two people did not like the hot meals that were on offer and were provided with an alternative. Staff also offered people sauces as they were in sachets and they needed assistance to open them. People were offered extra drinks during the mealtimes observed. People were supported to understand their rights and were actively involved in the development of their own care. Care plans clearly outlined what people could do independently, where they required support, and their personal preferences and wishes, ensuring care was tailored to each individual.

Mostly, the service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Mostly, staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. Staff were observed interacting with people throughout the day, and interactions were generally positive and responsive to individual needs. However, not all people spoken with were satisfied with the response times when using the call bell system. Comments included, “I have a big call button and one around my neck. I have to wait half an hour for them to come. I get fed up with this when I want to go to the toilet. It’s the same nearly all the time, day or night.” A relative said, “My [relative] and I have had problems getting through by telephone, by the landline or mobile. It often comes up saying ‘we are unable to connect you’. I don’t know what the problem is, it could be improved as it’s difficult to get through at times. I think it has been raised.” This was raised at feedback and senior managers provided assurances that this would be investigated.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff spoke positively about the management team. A member of staff said, “I initially started when I worked part time and I did my induction over 3 weeks- 1 week training and 2 weeks shadowing. We don't normally do it that long but as I was part time, more time was given.” Another person said, “The main thing is that I get a lot of informal support and supervision. The manager doesn’t work weekends, but they are always available on the phone and will and do come in, if needed. I get the support I need.” Leaders provided both professional and personal support, which staff said they valued and felt contributed to them feeling respected in their roles. The service promoted a positive workplace culture, underpinned by mutual support and effective leadership.